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Daniel Libeskind’s Berlin Sapphire Apartment to be completed in 2015

United Kingdom Architecture News - Feb 23, 2015 - 15:30 12214 views

This residential commission brought Daniel Libeskind back to Berlin for his first residential project in the city. The project, located on a busy corner in the Mitte neighborhood in central Berlin, presented a design challenge: how to carve out 73 desirable one- to four-bedroom apartments on a plot measuring a little less than half an acre?

Daniel Libeskind’s Berlin Sapphire Apartment to be completed in 2015

In large part, Studio Daniel Libeskind succeeded by incorporating large angular windows and canted walls that bring in natural light and invoke a feeling of spaciousness. The design team also added a dramatic flourish: atop the roof and visible above the façade is the upward sweep of a double-height glass ceiling: inside, a penthouse with sloping glass walls and access to a roof patio overlooks the City of Berlin.

Daniel Libeskind’s Berlin Sapphire Apartment to be completed in 2015

The three-dimensional, geometric-patterned stoneware tile adorning the façade is another design signature. Designed by Daniel Libeskind for Casalgrande Padana, the panels are technologically advanced to self-clean and aid in air purification.

Daniel Libeskind’s Berlin Sapphire Apartment to be completed in 2015

With retail shops on the ground floor, underground parking, and a common outdoor area, this high-spirited, contemporary complex stands on land where the Wulffersche iron factory once operated, before being expropriated from its Jewish owners during World War II.

Daniel Libeskind’s Berlin Sapphire Apartment to be completed in 2015